I'm retired(only 47) now with disposable income. I hate winter and live pretty far North by global standards. I want to hide out 3 months every year eventually.

Chiang Mai and Bangkok look the cheapest. If Bangkok then flights to Tibet, Nepal, Taiwan etc are incredibly cheap and convenient. 2 weeks is different animal from 3 months. Nepal sounds like a great place to visit, not a great place to live.

China and Costa Rica look to be over. Philippines are getting expensive/weird too. So much so LA or Tampa would be better.

Any nomads out there with some opinions? How is Taiwan for English speaking retirees? How much are condos?

Chiang Mai and Bangkok look the cheapest. If Bangkok then flights to Tibet, Nepal, Taiwan etc are incredibly cheap and convenient. 2 weeks is different animal from 3 months. Nepal sounds like a great place to visit, not a great place to live.

Personally I loved living in Bangkok. There is a forum called thaivisa where you can get more information. Unless it has changed, you need to be 50 to live on a retirement visa, but it is still possible to live there before that, you would simply have to make visa runs occasionally (just to one of the borders and right back in).

I can put you in touch with some expat Buddhists there (Theravada) if you are going to visit Bangkok.

Chiang Mai seems to be the favourite choice. I'll try and get there soon to check it out. I thought Taiwan/Taipei might get some love.
Bangkok might be a great travel hub for a year or two before settling down. Can foreigners buy condos in Chiang Mai like you can in Bangkok? Maybe it is better to rent something quiet in the suburbs. That is where I live in Canada.

A lot of people find it difficult adjusting to the sub-tropical climate. I am not sure how much experience you have in that regard. I would recommend spending a while there before making any permanent moves. The most expensive part is the air ticket. You can get cheap accomodations that are liveable anywhere in the country that you might be interested in living. I would book a flight and stay a few weeks in Bangkok, a few weeks in Chiang Mai, and so on. Make plans after that. Your on retirement time now.

I'm lucky enough to live in the tropics in a first-world country so my perspective is a bit different.
For me, the big differences in liveability are about noise, crowding, public health, roads, political freedom, etc. In those terms, Chiang Mai is pleasanter than Bangkok, but Thailand is not such an automatic choice. For instance, Southern Japan is pretty warm and Japan is beautiful, although expensive compared to SE Asia. Hawaii? Southern China? Sri Lanka? Spain?
Personally, I could be tempted by Singapore: no language problems, good standard of living,vibrant multicultural community, direct flights to just about anywhere in the world ...

A lot of people find it difficult adjusting to the sub-tropical climate. I am not sure how much experience you have in that regard. I would recommend spending a while there before making any permanent moves. The most expensive part is the air ticket. You can get cheap accomodations that are liveable anywhere in the country that you might be interested in living. I would book a flight and stay a few weeks in Bangkok, a few weeks in Chiang Mai, and so on. Make plans after that. ...

A lot of people who move here like the climate but a lot hate it so much that they can hardly wait to leave.
Our winters are paradise - day after day of sunshine and 25C temps - but our summers can be uncomfortable.
If you're really close to the Equator (e.g. Singapore), there isn't much seasonal change and it's quite hot and humid all year.

If you're only going to live there a few months at a time, look at seasonal rainfall charts and pick a place which is relatively dry and not too hot in the winter/dry season.

Chiang Mai seems to be the favourite choice. I'll try and get there soon to check it out. I thought Taiwan/Taipei might get some love.
Bangkok might be a great travel hub for a year or two before settling down. Can foreigners buy condos in Chiang Mai like you can in Bangkok? Maybe it is better to rent something quiet in the suburbs. That is where I live in Canada.

Taiwan is beautiful and the people lovely, but you'll want to acquire a basic grasp of mandarin if you are planning on staying for any length of time.

If that's not an obstacle, it's a worthy consideration.

"Even if my body should be burnt to death in the fires of hell
I would endure it for myriad lifetimes
As your companion in practice"
--- Gandavyuha Sutra

Chiang Mai seems to be the favourite choice. I'll try and get there soon to check it out. I thought Taiwan/Taipei might get some love.
Bangkok might be a great travel hub for a year or two before settling down. Can foreigners buy condos in Chiang Mai like you can in Bangkok? Maybe it is better to rent something quiet in the suburbs. That is where I live in Canada.

Tashi delek,

The place to go to, is for me personal dependent on:

- Buddhist country
- the monthly costs
- Climate
- Near to India and Nepal , because of my Masters
- If that country has a bi-lateral contract with the EC (European Community) . Cannot stay in every country, in some countries the retirement bank does not pay

As far as i know non Thais cannot buy property as foreigners in Thailand.

exceptions are:

- One is married to a Thai
- one has a companyy , Ltd etc. in Thailand

Renting houses is in Chiang Mai cheaper than somewhere else in Thailand.
Like told before i want to live in Chiang Mai in 2020, together with other Buddhists and together one can afford a bigger house with garden, big rooms, good kitchen etc.

Have a foundation on behalf the contracts can be signed.

Am not in a hurry because we have 2 years to look for that special house in the northern part of Thailand , where the climeate is better than in the rest of the country.

Are there things like retreat cottages near Chiang Mai? By moving overseas I can afford a little cabin for retreat up in the hills. Would that work there?

Tashi delek,

That is difficult to obtain.

Mostly one can rent a house there.
The Thais are fully prepared to receive retirement people.

The most westerns can afford 300 Euro rent, that is nearly a montly wage of a Thai .

I studied that topic many times and one option is founding a Tibetan Buddhist Community for westerns in Chiang Mai.
That means meeting people with the same interests who are satisfied with a bed room and attached bath room and shared living room, kitchen and garden.

Are there things like retreat cottages near Chiang Mai? By moving overseas I can afford a little cabin for retreat up in the hills. Would that work there?

Tashi delek,

That is difficult to obtain.

Mostly one can rent a house there.
The Thais are fully prepared to receive retirement people.

The most westerns can afford 300 Euro rent, that is nearly a montly wage of a Thai .

I studied that topic many times and one option is founding a Tibetan Buddhist Community for westerns in Chiang Mai.
That means meeting people with the same interests who are satisfied with a bed room and attached bath room and shared living room, kitchen and garden.

In that wy we can survive easy in Thailand.

Best wishes

This is an interesting plan. Foreigners can legally own condos in Thailand, but not land. They could be built around or near a central temple. What do you think the best temples are around Thailand? Particularly Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Bangkok is one of the best hubs for air travel in Asia. I may want to travel a bit before I settle down.

I do very well in desert and jungle to my surprise. Winters just kill me now.

I'm not American and the cost of living in San Diego is high, particularly real estate. It's out of my comfort zone with maintaining a place up here in Canada as well. I'd rather be well off in Bangkok than poor in San Diego. Decent small condo in Bangkok is still 60K USD, no property tax and maybe 400$ a year in condo fees. Bangkok has over 400 temples. If Cali I would go some place isolated in the desert. Maybe near Joshua Tree if it was still cheap.https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/c ... y2=Bangkok